Hamas Calls Israel's Boycott a 'Declaration of War'
TEL AVIV, April 10 — Israel's decision to boycott the new Hamas-led Palestinian government was sharply condemned today by Hamas, which called the decision a "declaration of war."
The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, with whom Israel is not explicitly ending ties, also rejected the new policy, saying it violated international law and existing Israeli-Palestinian agreements.
"It is a failed attempt to make divisions among Palestinians," a Hamas statement said. "It is part of a continuous siege on the Palestinian people."
The Hamas statement suggested that the Israeli government was trying to punish the Palestinian people for voting Hamas into office during January elections that ousted Mr. Abbas's Fatah organization as the ruling party.
In the first implementation of its new policy, Israel closed a joint security coordination office near the West Bank town of Jericho. It was among the last offices run together by Israeli soldiers and Palestinian security officials.
The Israeli government has repeatedly said it would not deal with Hamas until it recognizes Israel's right to exist, renounces terrorism and abides by previous agreements between the sides.
"If you are outside the international community and you act like a pariah, you cannot complain that people treat you like a pariah," said Mark Regev, the Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman, responding to the Hamas statement.
Israel has been walking a political tightrope since the election victory of the Islamic fundamentalist party, trying to both discredit Hamas but not completely destabilize the government it now runs to the point of setting off a humanitarian crisis.
Mr. Regev said Israel was working to find alternate ways to bypass the Palestinian government so that international humanitarian assistance could directly reach the Palestinian people.
The United States and the European Union announced last week that they would suspend aid to the Palestinian Authority because they regard Hamas as a terrorist organization. The move was a severe blow to the Palestinian Authority which is limping through a financial crisis.
In Gaza City today, hundreds of schoolchildren and teenagers waving the green flags of Hamas marched to protest the European Union decision to cut off aid.
Also today, Israel continued its military assault on Palestinian militants launching homemade rockets from the Gaza Strip into neighboring Israeli towns and villages.
A 9-year-old Palestinian girl named Ghader Ghabin was killed when Israeli tank shells crashed through the ceiling of her home in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahiyah, Palestinian security officials said. The shelling also injured 11 other family members in the same house, eyewitness said.
The Israeli Army spokesman's office confirmed that artillery had been fired in the direction of the town, a densely urban area from where it said rockets had been launched repeatedly.
Safwat Al-Kahlout contributed reporting from Gaza City for this article.
The New York Times
The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, with whom Israel is not explicitly ending ties, also rejected the new policy, saying it violated international law and existing Israeli-Palestinian agreements.
"It is a failed attempt to make divisions among Palestinians," a Hamas statement said. "It is part of a continuous siege on the Palestinian people."
The Hamas statement suggested that the Israeli government was trying to punish the Palestinian people for voting Hamas into office during January elections that ousted Mr. Abbas's Fatah organization as the ruling party.
In the first implementation of its new policy, Israel closed a joint security coordination office near the West Bank town of Jericho. It was among the last offices run together by Israeli soldiers and Palestinian security officials.
The Israeli government has repeatedly said it would not deal with Hamas until it recognizes Israel's right to exist, renounces terrorism and abides by previous agreements between the sides.
"If you are outside the international community and you act like a pariah, you cannot complain that people treat you like a pariah," said Mark Regev, the Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman, responding to the Hamas statement.
Israel has been walking a political tightrope since the election victory of the Islamic fundamentalist party, trying to both discredit Hamas but not completely destabilize the government it now runs to the point of setting off a humanitarian crisis.
Mr. Regev said Israel was working to find alternate ways to bypass the Palestinian government so that international humanitarian assistance could directly reach the Palestinian people.
The United States and the European Union announced last week that they would suspend aid to the Palestinian Authority because they regard Hamas as a terrorist organization. The move was a severe blow to the Palestinian Authority which is limping through a financial crisis.
In Gaza City today, hundreds of schoolchildren and teenagers waving the green flags of Hamas marched to protest the European Union decision to cut off aid.
Also today, Israel continued its military assault on Palestinian militants launching homemade rockets from the Gaza Strip into neighboring Israeli towns and villages.
A 9-year-old Palestinian girl named Ghader Ghabin was killed when Israeli tank shells crashed through the ceiling of her home in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahiyah, Palestinian security officials said. The shelling also injured 11 other family members in the same house, eyewitness said.
The Israeli Army spokesman's office confirmed that artillery had been fired in the direction of the town, a densely urban area from where it said rockets had been launched repeatedly.
Safwat Al-Kahlout contributed reporting from Gaza City for this article.
The New York Times
posted by HRM Deborah of Israel and the Messenger of Peace at 12:40 AM
6 Comments:
So where are your comments denouncing Hamas? Just because Israel states they want nothing to do with them does not make it a declaration of war. One should point out that this reaction from Hamas shows their inexperience, immaturity and inability to think logically.
That is you opnion, you are not looking at the whole picture or you are bias without see the truth, like I have mentioned to you before.
So where are your comments denouncing Hamas? Just because Israel states they want nothing to do with them does not make it a declaration of war. One should point out that this reaction from Hamas shows their inexperience, immaturity and inability to think logically.
Why should I denouce anything on an educational web site.
Like I told you before you do not know much about this region.
As for the last part that is just your opnion.
I just wanted to thank you for all the work you have out into this wonderful website.
I have posted a link to your site on mine.
Keep up the good fight. One day soon, there will be a state of Palestine, living in peace with it's neighbour Israel, God willing.
Don't lose faith.
I attended the anti-war rally in London before the Iraq war and the amount of people who carried Palestinian flags was astonishing.
Your case is felt throughout the world.
Kel dear I just wished to thank you and God willing their will peace in our homeland. The one thing we wanted from the beginning is peace.
I will say though the genocide going on is not exceptable because no one, I do not care who they are shouldn't be subjected to this.
I will always say, the Zionist political situation is very sad to me because what they are doing does remind me of the holocaust that the Jewish people and others was subjected to.
I am like most Palestinians, I will never lose faith because I actually want world peace and someday be able to return to my home, not like those picking sides and throwing mud because of lack of understanding.
I did look at your blog and you appear to be a remarkable person as you applied to me also.
I also appreciate you are for peace like me.
And I appreciate the world is hearing our voices because no one deserves to be forced to live like an animal, in exile or death!
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